Meet John Doe Page #5

CONNELL:

Shut up!

CLOSE-UP:
Of BEANY. He is startled by this—and then stares

popeyed as he sees ANN.

BEANY:

Ann! Say, why didn't yuh—

CONNELL:

Beany!

Med. Shot:
At the door. The painter is beginning to grind

his teeth. He pulls the door shut, viciously.

WIDER SHOT:
To include all.

POP:

Only one thing to do, Hank. Drop

the whole business quickly.

CONNELL:

How?

POP:

Run a story. Say John Doe was in

here, and is sorry he wrote the

letter and—

CONNELL:

(jumps in quickly)

That's right. You got it! Sure! He

came in here and I made him change

his mind. "Bulletin editor saves

John Doe's life." Why, it's perfect.

I'll have Ned write it up.

(into dictograph)

Oh, Ned!

NED'S VOICE

Yeah?

CONNELL:

got a story I want yuh to—

ANN:

Wait a minute!

She rushes over—snaps the dictograph off.

MED. SHOT:
Of ANN, leaning on CONNELL's desk.

ANN:

Listen, you great big wonderful

genius of a newspaperman! You came

down here to shoot some life into

this dying paper, didn't you?

CONNELL blinks under the attack. POP and BEANY move into

the scene.

ANN:

Well, the whole town's curious

about John Doe and, boom, just

like that you're going to bury

him. There's enough circulation in

that man to start a shortage in

the ink market!

CONNELL:

(thoroughly

bewildered)

In what man!

ANN:

John Doe.

CONNELL:

What John Doe?

ANN:

Our John Doe! The one I made up!

Look, genius— Now, look. Suppose

there was a John Doe—and he walked

into this office. What would you

do? Find him a job and forget about

the whole business, I suppose! Not

me! I'd have made a deal with him!

CONNELL:

A deal?

ANN:

Sure! When you get hold of a stunt

that sells papers you don't drop

it like a hot potato. Why, this is

good for at least a couple of

months. You know what I'd do?

Between now and let's say,

Christmas, when he's gonna jump,

I'd run a daily yarn starting with

his boyhood, his schooling, his

first job! A wide-eyed youngster

facing a chaotic world. The problem

of the average man, of all the

John Does in the world.

TWO SHOT:
ANN and CONNELL. Despite himself, he's interested

in her recital.

ANN:

Now, then comes the drama. He meets

discouragement. He finds the world

has feet of clay. His ideals

crumble. So what does he do? He

decides to commit suicide in protest

against the state of civilization.

He thinks of the river! But no,

no, he has a better idea. The City

Hall. Why? Because he wants to

attract attention. He wants to get

a few things off his chest, and

that's the only way he can get

himself heard.

CONNELL:

So?

FULL SHOT:
Of the whole group. BEANY grins in admiration.

CONNELL has leaned back in his chair, his eyes glued on

ANN.

ANN:

So! So he writes me a letter and

I dig him up. He pours out his

soul to me, and from now on we

quote:
"I protest, by John Doe."

He protests against all the evils

in the world; the greed, the lust,

the hate, the fear, all of man's

inhumanity to man.

Arguments will start. Should he commit suicide or should

he not! People will write in pleading with him. But no!

No, sir! John Doe will remain adamant! On Christmas Eve,

hot or cold, he goes! See?

She finishes, takes a deep breath—awed, and at the same

time proud of her accomplishment.

CLOSE SHOT:
Of CONNELL. He just stares at ANN.

CONNELL:

(after a

pause—quietly)

Very pretty. Very pretty, indeed,

Miss Mitchell. But would you mind

telling me who goes on Christmas

Eve?

ANN:

John Doe.

CONNELL:

(loses

control—screams)

What John Doe?

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